Longwood Commission Lets Police Chief Keep Raise

June 12, 1985|By Terry Osinski of The Sentinel Staff

LONGWOOD — Calling for a halt to the ''smut campaign'' against Police Chief Greg Manning, commissioners unanimously voted to allow their former acting city administrator to keep the raise he authorized for himself in January.

Following a Seminole Sentinel story about the increase, Police Chief Greg Manning last week said he would return about $250 he made during the 18-day period he raised his salary without commission approval.

However, Mayor Harvey Smerilson came to his aid by saying ''the entire commission made a mistake'' by approving a resolution raising his pay starting Feb. 7, rather than the week Manning started work, Jan 13.

Smerilson said the ''wrong date was incorrectly'' placed on the resolution. Minutes from the Jan. 21 meeting show that the commission unanimously approved the resolution.

Commissioner Ed Myers said he remembered objecting to Manning receiving the salary until former city administrator David Chacey was off the payroll. Chacey retired Jan. 7, but was paid for accrued vacation through Feb. 7.

Calling the story ''a smut campaign,'' Commissioner Larry Goldberg said he was ''sick of seeing him Manning chastised for a job well done. You don't give a man a job and the authority that goes with it without giving him the pay.'' Several people from the audience also voiced approval of Manning's raise.

Dave Lewis, 122 Ruby Red Lane, said the whole issue could have been avoided if the city had a policy concerning ''who talks to who about what. There's a whole lot of information in this city, that's really nobody's business.''

City attorney Jerry Korman responded that a policy banning the press from city affairs would be a violation of the First Amendment and freedom of speech.

A Columbus Harbour resident came to the meeting checkbook in hand, ready to make good on the salary discrepancy. Dr. Fred Pearl offered to pay the $250, if the city did not approve the increase.